The Secret Behind the Tattoo
by HalsGal1231
Summary: Hal finally asks Cal why he got his flaming skull tattoo and gets an unexpected insight. A/N: NOT SLASH This is my first fanfiction please R&R
1. The Question

The Secret Behind The Tattoo

_**A/N: All JE characters are hers. I own Piper Longstride. Thanks!**_

_**Hal and Cal are on a steak out waiting for a FTA to finally come home after his binge.**_

**Hal POV**

"God, this is so boring Cal. How can you just sit there?"

_"Part of the job man."_

"Yea I know but still." _**Hal looks over at Cal in the passenger seat debating whether or not to ask him what he has been dying to know since the day he met him two years ago when he joined Rangeman and got partnered with him**__._

_"Dude, what do you want? You've been staring at me for the past five minutes."_

"Well I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

_"Depends, is it something I can answer?"_

"Yes."

_"Alright, fire away."_

**Yes! Finally!** "Okay well I was wondering if you would tell me why you got that tattoo on your forehead?"

_**Cal just looks at him. Stunned.**_

**Crap! He's gonna kill me! I shouldn't have asked. Great now Ranger is gonna have to hire a new partner for Cal, one who's not dumb enough to ask him about his tattoo.**

_**Instead Cal does something Hal never thought he would do. Cal laughs, like a full blown belly laugh.**_

_"Hahaha, wow I didn't think anyone was ever gonna get up the nerve to ask me that." __**Cal smiles.**_

**Oh thank god he's not gonna kill me and is sounds like he is actually gonna tell me.**

_"Okay, well it was me and my best friend Longstride. We were both Captains at the time, on leave so we went to the bar. Were pretty buzzed by the time I got the crazy idea to get a tattoo, Longstride thought is was a great idea when I said it. So we did it."_

"Wait so you both got tattoos? While being almost drunk?"

_"Yep"_

"What did Longstride get? And why did you get it on your forehead?"

_"Longstride got a star inside a sun design thing; I don't remember what it meant. I got the skull on my forehead cause I thought it would look bad-ass and Longstride happen to agree with me so that's where I got it."_

"Wow, that simple? Wait so what happened once you guys got back to base and your C.O. saw your tat?"

_"I got reemed for it, got desk duty for three months, but it wasn't so bad I wasn't planning on staying in must longer anyway. My eight years were almost up."_

"How long did you know Longstride before you two got your tat's?"

_"We knew each other since basic. So a good while before we did something that stupid. Ha."_

"Ah, sounds like you guys did some other dumb stuff before that."

_"Yea we did, but Longstride has also managed to save my butt a couple times and cover for me when I did something dumb on my own. So we were thick as thieves."_

"Were?"

_"Still are it's just that communication is kinda hard seeing as Longstride is still in the service. Plus, the whole switching from Army to Air force two years ago, and being promoted to Colonel, lots of paperwork and political crap, keeping her busy, so not a lot of time to talk."_

"HER?"

_"Yea I didn't tell you that in the beginning?"_

"NO!"

_"Oh, sorry well yea Longstride is a girl. Okay it's been four hours sitting out here in the dark waiting for this guy to come home, looks like he ain't so lets call it a night and go home."_

"Fine but we are continuing this conversation in the morning, I have a feeling there is some more to this story than your telling me and I want to hear more about this Longstride girl."

_"Your not gonna let this drop now that you know are you?"_

"Nope." **Hal smugs**

_"Fine, but you better not wake me up at some ungodly hour to find out or so help me I'll take your ass to the mats and not tell you the rest of it and I won't answer any more questions __ever__. Got it?"_

"Got it."

_"Good, now start the car and lets get back to Rangeman."_


	2. Explanation

**Cal POV**

_"Ugh, who is knocking on my door on my day off?" _**Oh right it's probably Hal I can't believe I let it slip last night about Longstride. He is never going to leave this alone now that he knows, ugh.**

"Cal! Come on it's noon, I said I wouldn't wake you up at an ungodly hour so WAKE UP!"

_"Alright, alright! I'm coming keep your pants on."_

_**Cal crumbles while going to the door to let Hal in. He opens the door to a Hal mid knock who looks like a little kid a Christmas bouncing off the walls with excitement. **_

"Finally! I thought I was gonna have to pick the lock on your door and wake you up myself."

_"You do that and I'll kick your ass and tell Ranger it was self-defense."_

"Yeah, yeah. So you gonna tell me more about Longstride? Like what her first name is?"

_"Fine, go chill on the couch and I'll join you after I brush my teeth."_

"Sweet!" _**Hal bounds over to the couch like a puppy. **_

_What an infant.__** Cal mumbles under his breath. **_

_** 5 minutes later…**_

_**Cal sits down next to Hal with a bottle of water in hand.**_

_"Okay, so what do you want to know first?"_

"What's her full name?"

_"It's Piper Longstride."_

"Wow, that's an old fashion sounding name."

_"Don't tell her that, she'll punch you straight in the nose for making fun of her name."_

"Point taken. So what's she like?"

_"Why do you want to know? I don't think you'll ever meet her."_

"Just cause. She sounds interesting plus she's the one who got you to get your tattoo. Never meet her, ouch partner that hurts, won't introduce me to your oldest friend."

_"Those puppy dog eyes won't work on me bub. I didn't say your would never meet her it's just that she is rarely ever in Trenton and if she is, it's for leave so she's not here long. Plus this place holds some bad memories for her."_

"Bad memories? What do you mean?"

_**Shit! I can't believe I said that to him. Piper would kill me if she knew I told him that. "**__I can't tell you what they are Hal; those are her secrets she shared with me in confidence."_

"Yeah, I get it. You still haven't answered my question. What's she like?"

_"She's great, strong, stubborn like no other, loyal to the ends of the earth and farther, caring, loves sports, and the best fighter I have ever seen. She could probably take Ranger and Tank."_

"No way? She's that good?"

_"Yep, boxed for the Army and did all kinds of karate for years. Last she told me about it she said she's a 5__th__ degree black belt."_

"Wow! Now I really want to meet her."

_"Yea, sure next time she pops up here. Now get out, I have to shower and I want to enjoy my day off thank you very much."_

"Okay, fine I'll leave but I'm serious that I want to meet her. See ya later."


	3. Unexpected Find

_**Two Months later. Hal, Cal, Ram, and Lester just picked up their latest FTA and are now on their way to the cop shop. Lester and Ram are in the first car with the FTA and Cal and Hal are in the second. **_

_** Cal POV**_

_"So have you heard any thing from Piper recently?" __**Hal asks cause he still really wants to meet this Piper who Cal talks so fondly of. Every since that first time Cal told him about her, he seems to talk about her more often now that Hal knows about her.**_

"No Hal, just like last Friday when you asked me. And every other Friday you have asked for the last month and a half.I told you I got a letter from and she said she was really busy with paper work and training recruits so I wouldn't be getting another letter for a little while. All right."

_"Fine, so I'll drop it for this week."_

"Good, now what Hell! Why did Ram just stop for now reason! And what the Hell is Lester getting out of the car for?"

_"I think he's going to talk to that woman on the sidewalk". __**Hal thinks aloud.**_

"Wow, I can't believe Lester would sink that low. Trying to pick up a girl while we are on a job Ranger's going to send him to Siberia when he finds out."

**Lester POV**

"Ram wait! Stop!"

_"What? What's wrong? Ram shouted back at Lester."_

"Look! That women walking down the street. Something looks like it's off."

_"Wow Lester that's low even for you."_

"That's not what I mean; I mean it looks like she's hurt. Look how she's stumbling and holding her side. Stop the car I'm gonna see if she's alright."

_"Fine. Go see, but make it quick I wanna get rid of this guy."_

"Okay, I'll be right back." _**Lester quickly jumps out of the car to check on the women he saw stumbling. He comes up behind her and taps her on the shoulder. "**_Miss, are you okay?"

_**What he doesn't expect her to do is whip around and punch him in the throat and sweep his legs out from under him.**_

_"Oh Crap! Lester." __**Ram jumps out of the car to try and help Lester. He goes over to the women who dropped Lester. She punches Ram in the ribs and pulls his arm behind him and knocks him out with some well-placed hits to his pressure points. Hal and Cal have no idea why Ram stopped but when they see their friends getting the crap beaten out of them by some women, they race out of their car to help. Hal approaches her first and gets punched in the eye and tripped by her. Cal thinks there is something familiar about her.**_

_Holy Crap! Cal thinks. It's Piper!_

_A/N: sorry i know this chapter is a shorter than the other two but i wanted it to end with a cliff hanger._


	4. Who She Is

**Cal POV**

"Piper! Stop! They don't mean you any harm."

"_Cal?" _She asks with the relief evident in her voice.

"This is Piper? The Piper Longstride you told me about Cal?" _**Hal can't believe it! He's wanted to meet her for a while now and can't believe that when he finally does, she beats him up. How ironic. **_

_**Before Cal can respond he sees Piper start to fall. He rushes forward to catch her before she face-plants to the ground. When he brings his hand away he sees blood on it, a lot of it. **_

"Oh my god! Hal you and Lester take the skip to the cop shop while I take Ram and Piper to ER."

""_Yeah right Cal, she just dropped three of us! There is no way I'm letting you go anywhere with her alone." _**Lester tells him.**

"Lester, she's a friend of mine I'll be fine. Plus if she sees one of you before she sees me she _will _start swinging again."

"_Fine, but as soon as Hal and I are done we are coming to get some answers. Oh and you better call Ranger and tell him what happened."_** Lester pretty much commanded.**

"Okay I will. I'll see you guys later" **Hal and Lester help put Ram in the back of the second car while Cal puts Piper in the passenger seat.**

_**At the hospital**_

**Ranger walks into the waiting room to see both Cal and Ram sitting there. Cal sits there with his head in his hands and Ram just looks dazed. **

"Report!" **Ranger barks at Cal as a way to get an explanation as to why he got a brief and vague call from Cal saying Ram had to be taken to the ER and here he is sitting with Cal in the waiting room.**

"Well, Ram's fine now just a little dazed from getting knocked out. He woke up right as we pulled into the ER" **Cal told Ranger. **

"How did he get knocked out?"**Ranger asks. Just as Lester and Hal walk in.**

"_Got our asses handed to us that's how" _**Lester answers for Cal.**

**Ranger looks at him and says**** "**What happened to you guys? You look worse than Ram"

"_Like I said, a woman we were trying to help knocked us around"_** Lester Said.** **Ranger then does his trademark eyebrow raise. Which this time is translated as *****Really? Care to tell me how and who? *******

"_I don't know who she is Cal said he knows her"_** Lester told Ranger.**

**He turns to Cal waiting for an explanation as to who beat up three of his men.**

"She's an old friend of mine that I've known since basic. Lester spotted her stumbling down the street and went to go check on her. He didn't know who it was so he went up to her and it spooked her, so she reacted by instinct and how she was trained to"

"Trained?" **Ranger asks sounding a little stunned.**

"Yes. Can I explain this in a more private place?"

**Ranger goes over to a nurse and talks to her for like a minute and comes back over to the guys and leads them to one of the private waiting rooms.**

"All right, now explain who this woman is that managed to take down three members of my core team and how you know her" **Ranger demanded.**

"Yea, I guess you need to know now" **Cal lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "**Okay her name is Piper Longstride, she's my oldest friend and we met in basic training. She excelled like no one else in self-defense and boxed for a while for the Army. That's how she was able to get the better of the guy's cause she doesn't look someone who would know that much about fighting. She's now a Colonel for the Air Force so I have no idea what she's doing here. I didn't get any word from her that she would be in the area. I also have no idea what happened to her to get her this injured. Anything else you need to know right now cause I would like to see if I can get an update on how her surgery is going."

"No that's all for now, I'll find you if I have any other questions and check in with you later" **Ranger nodded and left him to go check on his for friend who Ranger can tell he cares a lot for because of how he talked to him.**

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! **


	5. Knowing What Happened

_**It's been five hours since Piper's surgery started. Cal is still in the waiting room switching from pacing to just sitting fiddling with his thumbs or dusting off invisible lint on his clothes.**_

** Cal POV**

"_God, I hate just sitting here doing nothing and not knowing what happened to her or if she's gonna be okay"_** Cal couldn't but talk to himself so he could stop all the thoughts rolling around in his head like rocks. **

**A nurse seeing him under so much stress silently gets up from up her station and gets a cup of coffee. She then walks over to Cal and hands it to him without a word. **

"Here, looks like you could use it"** She smiles a little when she hands it to him.**

"_Huh? Oh yea I could thanks"_** Cal looks up at he a little stunned and looking at the coffee like it's some alien rock she just handed him.**

"It's just coffee, black though, sorry didn't know how you take it"

"_No, no, black's fine that how I usually take it anyway thank you" _**He holds the cup up a little to show that's what he means, like it's not obvious.**

"Sure thing, so who do you have in there? Your wife?" **She asks because she figures getting him talking will help a little to get rid of the stress.**

"_Wife? No, no she's my sister" _**Cal tells her she's his sister cause he figures that if they knew he wasn't really related to her they would ask him to leave and he just won't do that.**

"Ah, so you wanna tell me what happened?"

"_I wish I could I don't even know myself. I just found her how she was and brought her here. The doctors haven't told me what happened to her or anything, they just took in and haven't been out since"_

"Oh, well I'm sure they will be out soon with good news about her. If you need anything, anything even just an ear to hear you, just ask for me. My name is Susan Carter. And don't worry we have the best doctors here" **She smiles hoping it will help him a little cause he's still kinda freaking out. She gets up and starts to leave to go back to her station.**

"_Yeah, hey thank you for the talk and everything I kinda needed that to get out of my head so thanks."_

"No problem oh by the way what's your name?"

"_Oh, yea you told me yours so I guess I should tell you mine. My name is Cal."_

"Okay Cal, well I guess I'll be seeing around hopefully if I do than it will be on b"etter circumstances. "

"_Yea, I hope so too."_

_**Finally After another half an hour the doctor who is taking care of Piper comes out.**_

**The doctor walks up to Cal and asks. "**Are you the family of Piper Longstride?"

"_Yea, I mean yes I am. How is she?"_

"She's good, she pulled through nicely, she is being moved to a recovery room. And after the anesthesia wears off she will be moved to a room"

"_Okay good, that's good to hear. If you don't mind doctor what were her injuries?"_

"Well she has a laundry list of injuries. Are you sure you really want to know?"

"_Yes, I am gonna need to tell her when she asks me" _

"Alright, well see has four broken ribs, punctured a lung, a gash on the right side of her head, a slash through her left eyebrow that went through her eyelid also, had a bullet wound to her lower abdomen, a sprained wrist, and just some minor cuts and bruises. May I ask what happened to her?"

"_I don't know what happed to her doc. Three of my co-workers and I were on our way back from picking up a skip when we found her"_

"Alright when she is moved to her room, I will have one of the nurses tell you where her room is"

"_Thanks doc for everything"_


	6. This is What Happened

_**Cal is sitting Piper's room in those awkward blue chairs that are always next to the beds. **_

**It's been an hour already since she was moved to this room, I don't understand why she isn't awake yet. **Cal thinks

_**Cal is now really starting to worry that something isn't right, but he figures that he'll wait a half an hour before he goes and asks the doctor.**_

__**Twenty minutes later… Piper POV **

"Ugh…lights too bright."

"_Piper! You're awake! Oh thank god."_

"Thanks captain obvious… wait Cal? Your actually here I thought it was a dream that I saw you."

"_No, no I'm really here. Which brings me to the next question, Why are you here?"_

"I'm here on a road trip of sorts. Didn't you get my letter?"

"_Letter? No I didn't, well I haven't gone through my mail in like a week. I've been busy with distractions and skips and stuff. I can't believe you're here! And then my guys and I find you stumbling down the street hurt. What the hell happened to you?"_

"I was not stumbling, more like a very ungraceful walk."

"_Ha, yea right and I'm Santa Clause."_

"Well you never know the hat would cover up the tattoo and there are some pretty convincing wigs nowadays." _**She gives him a cheeky grin.**_

"_Still the smartass huh." _

"Oh yea, haha. Ow. So what's the damage? I know you know so don't even bother to deny it or give that carp about waiting for the doctor to tell me cause you know I won't be able to follow what he's saying."

"_Yeah I know, you sure you wouldn't rather hear it from him?"_

"Yes Cal, I want to hear from you so I can actually understand some of what the doc is gonna tell me."

"_Alright fine. What do want first the minor stuff or the major stuff?"_

"Give me the minor stuff first."

"_Well obviously a bunch of cuts and bruises and a sprained wrist."_

"Okay, so what are the majors? "

_**Cal takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly." **__Okay well you've got four broken ribs and one of them punctured a lung, got a deep gash on your right side of your head, another one that cuts through your left eyebrow and eyelid, and last but not least you got shot near your right hip bone."_

"Sweet, well at least it's not bad as some of what I've had." _**She smiles ruefully. **_

"_This isn't the worst that's happened to you? Jeez Piper, what have you been doing?"_

"Come on Cal, you know I can't talk about some of it and the stuff I can talk about I don't want to do it in hospital. When can I been released? I hate the smell of hospitals."

"_Your right, but we will talk about it, I don't know when you can be released. Probably not for at least a couple of day, plus I would like to know why your in Trenton and how you got hurt. Okay?"_

"Yea Cal, don't worry about it I figured that I would have to tell you the moment I woke up and saw that you were actually here. Seeing as you didn't read my letter I will have to start from the beginning… Well this is going to be my last leave."

"_What? Since when? What happened?"_

"Will if you wouldn't interrupt and let me finish I'll tell you. Well I just decided that I wouldn't resign my enlistment papers. I was granted two weeks to decide if I wanted to stay or not, and I was going to use the time to go visit an old friend down in West Virginia. But I really wanted to go to the beach so I figured I would come over here and visit you too, if that was okay with you. Ah-ah I'm most done yet I'm getting to the part where you found me and I'll explain it."

"_Really? You know you don't need to ask for permission to come and visit me."_

"Yes I know, I just wanted to give you a heads up so I didn't cause you to have to cancel something you had planed. But now I'll tell you how I came to end up like this." _**She closes her eyes and takes a breath to try and calm her**_**. "**Okay so when I was on my way here I got a call from Eddie."

"_Eddie? Eddie who?"_

"Eddie Gazarra."


	7. Hal meets Her officially

** Chapter 7**

**Piper POV**

"_Piper how do you know Eddie?____I had no idea you knew him!"_

"Yeah, he was a friend of my older brother's. They both played soccer together; Eddie practically lived at my house. From that we became friends too. After the accident we kinda drifted but still talked once a year. I saw this road trip as a way to get back friend that used to be like my brother."

"_Oh, sorry I didn't know."_

"Ha that's cause I've never told you before. You know most of my past but there are still something's you don't but they're mostly just little things, but if you want to know you can ask, you know I'll tell you anything."

"_Yeah I know, so what did Eddie call you about?"_

"He asked if I could help him with one of his cases. He knew he trust me to help him and he knew I wouldn't get in trouble cause of my work and training. He didn't even know that I was on my way, just happened to be a lucky coincidence. I told him I'd to it. I needed to find the guy he knew did the crime he just didn't have the evidence to arrest him on the charge he wanted so he asked if I could get the guy to do something dumb so he could get him on a chump charge to hold him long enough to get the evidence he needed. I found the guy right away, he was a total arrogant ass, so he didn't hide well. Only thing I wasn't planning on was the number of guys he had with him, sure I expected a few, not the amount he had."

"_How many were there?"_

"He had six guys with him, all at least 255lbs. they came at me when I as soon as they figured out that I wasn't a hooker. And no before you ask I didn't kill any of them, just tagged a few with a taser and punched the others out. Of course that was after they all got a few good licks in themselves. The leader, the guy I was after, was such a coward that he used a gun instead of fighting like his men had. That's how I got the bullet in my abdomen. Then after I got the leader subdued I tied him up and left him in a semi-open area that Eddie asked me to, only he was missing some/most of his clothes so Eddie could arrest him for indecent exposure. Haha. Ow, okay laughing not such a good idea right now I guess."

_**Before Cal could ask any more questions the good doctor decided that now was the time we was going to check on his patient. **_

"Ah, Miss Longstride I see you are finally awake. That's great news, your brother here has been extremely nervous."

_**Cal looks down at the floor a little embarrassed cause the doctor mad him sound like he was a pacing lunatic the entire time. He didn't think he made that much of a scene when he asked very time a nurse came in to check on Piper. She just looks over at Cal and smiles sweetly at him.**_

"Hey doc, not to sound rude or ungrateful or anything but when can I get out of here?"

"Ha, don't like hospitals? Well that all depends on how your recovery goes for the next day or two. If everything is fine after those days and I feel you can leave, with super vision of course, than you're good to go."

"It's not the hospital itself just the smell, sorry." _**She gives him a little smile cause she doesn't want to come off ungrateful for fixing her up.**_

"If it's okay with you I would like to check on you wounds and see how the stiches are." _**He looks over at Cal to let him know that he should leave while he does this.**_

"No it's okay, he can stay it isn't like he hasn't seen me in a hospital bed before."

"Alright, that's fine he may stay if you want him here" _**Cal moves off to the side a little to give the doc room but close enough to see how hurt she was. Just as the doc finishes checking her over Hal comes in. Piper visibly tenses. The doc just happens to be looking at her bullet wound. He feels her tense under his hand.**_

"That hurt?" _**Mistaking her reaction for pain when it's because of seeing a stranger enter her room.**_

"A little" _**She half told the truth cause it did hurt a little. Being a little more concerned with the big guy who just walked into her room.**_

"Alright, well everything is fine and I'll have a nurse come by later to redress your wounds" _**With that the doctor turns around to leave but ends up walking into a big guy standing in the door way. "**_Who are you?"

"Oh sorry, I'm Hal, a friend." _**He didn't know what else to say to explain why he just walked in without asking. Plus he was a little distracted by the beauty lying in the bed. **_

_**Even with all the bandages she has wrapped around her she's beautiful.**__**Her short hair is the color of burnt caramel. The one eye I can see it such a bright light blue that I swear I'm looking at a sun light sky and not her eyes. **_**He thinks**

"Ah, well excuse me I need to go check on my other patients" _**He really just wanted to get out of the room cause the two guys in there kinda scared him.**_

_**The second the doc left Piper sat up trying not hiss when her ribs protested and started her own questioning. "**_Who the heck are you and why are you in my room?" _**Cal tried to answer for him so Piper wouldn't do something stupid like trying to get out of bed and hit him again. But Hal beat him to the punch.**_

"I'm Hal, I'm one of the guys you beat who were trying to help you."** He told her proudly.**

**Oh man Hal I can't believe you just said it like that she is going to rip you a new one for sounding so egotistical. **_**Cal thinks.**_

"Well seeing as you and who ever else I beat up, deserved it for coming up behind me in the dark without saying anything. And from your statement you weren't the only one it seems. So if you all got your butts handed to you by a wounded girl you shouldn't sound like such a caveman."

"Haha, Hal meet Piper Longstride, Piper meet my friend and work partner Hal." _**Man I am so glad Hal beat me to the explanation; it was so much funnier to watch her put him in his place. **_


	8. Meeting the Boss

**Chapter 8**

**Hal POV**

"Ha, wow you've got fire. No wonder Cal is friends with you"

"_Yes, and so far I can't understand how your friends with Cal"_

"Okay kids back to your corners" _**Cal felt the need to intervene before those two started yelling and trying to get out of bed, which would not be good for Piper's healing.**_

"_Ha, thanks brother I was afraid I was gonna ruin my first impression your partner had of me."_

"Your welcome, Hal if you're going to be here than you can't be getting her riled up okay?" _**Hal looks at him in mock hurt.**_

"_By the way_ Hal _why are you here considering that you barely even know me?"_

"Oh I'm here cause I wanted to see how your were and get to know you cause Cal has told me about you."

"_Did he now?" __**She gives Cal her best -what-the-heck-did-you-tell-him look.**_

"Yep, because I finally worked up the nerve to ask him about his tattoo."

"_Haha, so that's how you found out about me, not that I mind, but how much do you know about * yawn * me?"_

"Okay Piper you need to rest you and Hal can discus what you know about each other later alright"

"Yea, I need to check in with Ranger anyway about the skip and the beat down. See ya later Cal. Piper nice to talk to you when your not trying to beat me up"

"_See you around Hal and nice meeting you in the daylight"_

**Right after Hal leaves Piper falls asleep. Cal writes a note to her saying he had to go to work and would be back later. He didn't tell her that he would also have one of the merry men check in on her. Hopefully she was asleep when they did.**

** A couple hours later… **

**Piper wakes up to see Cal in her room talking to a very handsome Latino man with some pretty rockin' hair. **

"_Hey Cal, not to interrupt or anything but who is the guy your talking to?"_

"Good your awake. Well this guy happens to be my boss." _**Cal tells her a little sheepishly cause he doesn't know how she will react to another strange person in her room with in twenty-four hours. **_

"_Okay, Sir may I ask why you are here?" __**When he turns she sees a flash of silver on his left hand. **_

**Damn! He's married. **_**She thinks.**_

"Well I'm here to see and meet the women who took down three of my most highly trained men."

"_Okay but who are you besides Cal's boss?"_

"My name is Ranger or you can call me Carlos"

"_Alright Carlos, are they going to press charges?"_

"No, I don't think they would want to admit to being taken down by a women and they know that you're a friend of Cal's so they won't."

"_Good, would it be to much to ask to meet them so I could apologize to them?"_

"Yes, I will arrange for them to come and see you, as a matter of fact I believe that Hal has already said he would be back."

"_Oh the guy who for some reason wants to know me"_

"Yes, that would be him, he hasn't shut up about it since he found out that you were here. Now every member of my team wants to see what your all about seeing as you beat up part of the core team and how you got Cal to get the skull."

"_Great, more obnoxious men who think I shouldn't be able to take them. Well they are probably dying to know and seeing that I slept most of the day would we be able to do this little meet n' greet now or after they get off work?"_

"_Yeah, that would be fine, I'll let the guys know that they are aloud to come here when done with their shifts. That's assuming Cal lets them him seeing as he's pretty much your bodyguard."_

"Yeah well, she may need one cause of how she ended up like this"

"I expect to know how that happened also"

"_Yes, I know when everyone that want's to know is here or most of them, they can pass the story on."_

"Cal I will be here later with the rest of the team."_** In standard Ranger fashion he leaves without a good-bye and just walks out.**_

"_Not much of a manners person is he? Huh. It seems that that quality is a job requirement to work for him."_

"Hey! I work for him. I like to think I have some manners"

"_Yes, you do so that's why you aren't included in that observation. When do you think they will be here?"_

"Probably an hour or two."

"_Okay, well you don't have to be here for it considering you know the story already. After they leave you can ask me any other questions ya want."_

"I will be here when they come because I'm the only one you know, plus I don't want you to try and hit them again, and one of them tends to say whatever he want's with out thinking at all"

"_Fine, but after they leave I want to talk to the doctor to see if I can get released early, I know, I know what he said but that was before I slept the whole day"_


	9. Meeting the A Team

**Piper POV**

"_Well seeing that I have at least an hour before the caveman crew gets here I'm going to go clean up a little, I feel like I just got out of a mud puddle."_

"Piper, I'm not sure that's the greatest idea. I mean shouldn't you have a nurse help you or something?"

"_No, my legs weren't hurt and my wrist is only sprained so I am perfectly capable of cleaning myself, thank you very much."_

"Haha, just yell if you need anything okay?"

"_Yes _Dad. _And I will be spending a good amount of time in there so I can relax before all men arrive to find out what happened and I can apologize."_

"Just go smart ass before I change my mind and call a nurse in to help."

_**And she does spend a lot of time in there, an hour to be precise. Cal can hear her singing over and over an old Beatles song. About forty-five minutes in all the guys show up at once. Which are Ranger, Tank, Hal, Lester, Ram, and Bobby.**_

"Hey Cal, where's Piper?" **Hal asks. Voicing the unanimous question from them all as to why he's the only one in the room.**

"She's in the bathroom. Why are Tank and Bobby here?"

"Ah, that's where the singing we heard down the hall is coming from. Well Tank came cause he just plain curious and Bobby came to see if he could help, cause I told him about her wanted to get out of here. She been in there long?"

"Yes, but she did warn me that she would be, but she should be out soon."

_**As soon as Cal says that a loud bang and a string of rather creative curses, some of which even the guys haven't heard before, comes from the other side of the bathroom door.**_

"Piper! Are you alright?"

"_Yes! I'm fine, I just found out that only being able to see out of one eye and the floor being wet are not good combinations."__** She replies while sitting on her behind cause she slipped getting out of the shower.**_

"Your sure you didn't tear any of your stiches or anything?" _**He's debating just going in there to check for himself, but figures that Piper wouldn't be very happy with him for barging in with all the guys here. He knows that she knows they're here cause she stopped singing the moment they entered. **_

"Haha wow, she's got a colorful vocabulary, I like her already! Even though she did lay me out." _**Lester smiles.**_

"Yes which she feels a little sorry for by the way. Piper, are you gonna be out soon the guys are here."

"_Yes, I just need to find a freaking towel in this freakishly clean and weirdly Spartan like hospital bathroom! And I know they are here I heard them come in."_

"Ha, she doesn't like hospitals you weren't kidding Hal." _**Tank says.**_

_**Some how all of them managed to fit in Pipers room, and are all standing in like an arch in front of the bathroom door.**_

"Hal, how much about her did you tell the guys? Cause you know she kinda doesn't like you all that much and will probably hit you again right?" _**Cal asks, cause he really doesn't want Piper doing anything that could hurt herself or his, sometimes, idiot of a friend.**_

"Just the basics, like that she's a friend of yours who got you to get your tat, she hates hospitals, and she's a firecracker, you know the necessities."

"You better hope that's all cause I won't stop the yelling match you'll get into if she thinks you told too much to them."

"_Told_ _too much to who?" __**Piper asks, standing in the doorway of the bathroom in stupid gown they make you wear. **__"Wow Cal, you weren't kidding when you told me in your letters that all the guys you work with were huge. Sorry, that was rude; I'm just a little surprised to see how many people are here. _

"Yes, well we all would like to know who you are." _**Ram said.**_

"_Yea sure, just let me get to my stupid bed before the doc yells at me for not staying in it." __**She makes it to the bead without showing how much of a bad idea moving around was. Plus having Cal hover around her like she's gonna fall at any moment. **__"Okay well first, who are the rest of you cause I already know Ranger and Hal and which are the ones I need to apologize too?"_

"Well I'm Lester, the gorgeous comedic relief of the team, the really big guy on my left is Tank, he's the muscle, the shaggy haired kid next to me, who told you why we are all here is Ram, and the quiet guy at the end who looks like a Vulcan staring like that, is our team medic Bobby. Oh and they ones you need to apologize to are me, Ram, and Hal." _**Lester smiles at his introduction that he knows will get him some serious mat time. But he figures it's worth it to see her reaction at each of his explanations. **_

_**Piper thinks that not matter how beautiful his green eyes are that he reminds her of her older brother. **_** They have the same sense of flirtatious cockiness mix. Now the guy whose name is Tank, that it fits him perfectly, and is one person I would want in a fight. Aww that was a little of mean to give the kid called Ram a Scooby reference. He was cute in a little brother kind of way. Okay I've seen star trek and the medic looks nothing like a Vulcan. He just has that calm observing for injuries look that medics always have. Wow they all have that military air about them, and I know they can tell the same about me.**_** She thinks as Lester is making the intros. "**__Okay now that I know who you are, and this next question I know I'll regret asking this but, what did I do to you three?"_

_A/N: Sorry i recently watched the Star Trek movie (which sadly i own none of it :( * wish i had McCoy*) and i couldn't resist the references. _


	10. Another Complication

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, my brain decided it wanted to take a vacation because of my restless sleep. **

**Piper POV**

"Well me, you hit me in the throat and swept my legs out which actually hurt. Ram here you gave the worst to by punching him in the ribs and doing like the Vulcan nerve pinch, which I thought was incredibly ironic cause of how I described him. And Hal got off the lightest with just a black eye and a sore butt from when you tripped him." **Lester looks proud of his ability not to laugh through the whole thing, Ranger, Tank and Bobby just look kinda awed by the fact she did that. **

"_Wow I am so sorry you guys I just was surprised by your sudden appearance and I didn't mean to hurt you I just reacted. How about after I get out of here I treat you three to lunch or something as a sorry for doing that to you." **She looks down at her hands trying not to be embarrassed by that fact they were trying to help and that's how she repaid them.**_

"Yeah, that would be nice of you, we're in." **Ram says trying to be nice.**

"How about why you were stumbling down the street at night." _**Bobby said, trying to get the conversation started since she seemed to calm up after hearing what she did to the guys.**_

"_I was not stumbling more like an ungraceful walk. But that's not what you're here for. Okay well I was there cause I was doing a job for Eddie Gazarra. Who you guys seem to know from the expressions on your faces."_

"Yea we do, he's a in-law and friend of the bossmans wife." _**Lester smiles, which earns him a very Stephanie like glare from Ranger that tells him to meet him on the mats. But it was worth it.**_

"_Ha okay, well I was heading to the beach when he called and asked if I could help with a case of his. I just needed to get the guy in a compromising position and he would take care of the rest. Only the guy I was after had six really big guys with him who decided I was a threat, which I was, and started fighting me. I took care of them without killing any of 'em, and then got the guy I was after. He shot at me, cause the guy was a coward, I subdued hin and left the guy in a secure open area without most of his clothes so Eddie could pick him up for indecent exposure. Then you guys found me, that's about it. Is there anything else you want to know?" **Everyone but Cal looks stunned by her explanation of what happened. Ram was about to ask if she would tell the how she got Cal to get his tattoo but as soon as he opened his mouth there was a knock at the door. And a nurse walked in.**_

"Excuse me I need to redress her bandages, give her the first dose of antibiotics, and there is someone here to see a Carlos?" _**She tells them. Ranger leaves the room to see who could possibly be here and the rest of the guys just kinda of shuffle around to give the nurse some room. About a minute or two after the nurse gives Piper her antibiotic Piper starts to seize and her breathing stops from it. **_"Guys! You need to leave now!" _**She yells into the call button. "**_Doctor I need you in here now!"

**Of course the one antibiotic they decide to give her, she turns out to be allergic to. The doctor manages to get her stabilized while Cal is pacing outside her door. All the guys but Ranger are standing a few feet away for him trying to give him some breathing space. **

"Bobby! Could you explain what happened to her because I have no idea." **Cal pretty much demands.**

"From what I saw it looked like she's allergic to what ever they gave her." **He told him. Knowing that Cal didn't mean to sound like a dick cause he's just stressed by this.**

"Shouldn't they know from her records what kind of medicine she's allergic to?"

"She probably didn't know that she was. That's how most people find out they are allergic to things."

**Meanwhile Ranger is seeing who could possibly be here to see him when he's not the one hurt. **

"Babe, what are you doing here?"

"_I heard about Cal's friend and I wanted to see if he was okay and plus I think I may know her."_


End file.
